A proper celebration should follow every harvest. Especially, when it is the grape harvest! Grape harvest festivals entice visitors in the Czech Republic to taste regular wine as well as young wine, which is fermented grape must. And when you add historical processions, craft demonstrations, period markets, dulcimer music, stands with wine and gastronomic specialities – you do not have to worry about what to do at Bohemian and Moravian grape harvest festivals. Choose one of the best tips for grape harvests in South Moravia, in Prague and other places in the Czech Republic.
Grape Harvest in Moravia
Moravia is in the east of the Czech Republic and it is known for its favourable conditions for growing vine. Most wines in the Czech Republic come from this area. For example, you can go to Mikulov to the Pálava Grape Harvest Festival. It takes place every second weekend in September, this year, it is from 10 to 12 September. Come enjoy three pleasant days in Mikulov where you can watch historical costume processions and visit the town centre transformed into a historical market. You can taste wine from local vineyards and fresh young wine all over the town. The programme includes evening concerts, Sunday pilgrimage to Svatý kopeček (or the Holy Hill), or demonstration of standard grape processing. During the grape harvest festival, you can also visit the prestigious public National Wine Competition exhibition in the main hall of the Mikulov Chateau. You can taste more than 500 samples of white, rose and red wines from the Mikulov wine growing area.Another popular grape harvest in Moravia is in Velké Pavlovice. This year, it takes place on 17 and 18 September. This grape harvest festival is a true folklore celebration and a top social event of the wine-growing year near and far. You can look forward to days full of adventures, music, singing and dance in the spirit of folk traditions, and enjoying good wine and young wine.
The Znojmo Historical Grape Harvest Festival, the largest event of its kind in the country, with a rich programme on 13 stages in the historical centre of the town of Znojmo, visited by tens of thousands people, is postponed to 2022 due to the COVID-19 measures.
Grape Harvest in Prague
In Prague, there are also grape harvest festivals. For example, the vineyard in Troja is organising a celebration of this year’s harvest on 11 September, in the courtyard of the Baroque Troja Chateau. There will be tastings of wine, young wine, and refreshments. A week later, that is on the weekend of 18 and 19 September, you can celebrate the grape harvest at the St. Clare Vineyard in the Prague Botanical Garden. The place offers beautiful views of the capital city. They will also offer the local young wine, whose quality is legendary. The rich local production includes quality varietal wines, cuvée and varietal brandies. Another popular place in Prague to celebrate a new grape harvest is the St. Wenceslas Vineyard by the Prague Castle. The St. Wenceslas Grape Harvest Festival will take place there on 28 September. Visitors will enjoy samples of prominent Moravian and Bohemian vineyards, including young wine, music and plenty of food. The traditional Vinohrady Grape Harvest Festival will take place on 11 and 12 September at the square of George of Poděbrady. You can look forward to wines from small vineyards in Moravia and Bohemia, supplemented with wines from foreign vineyards in the neighbouring countries, and various types of the popular young wine.
Grape Harvest in Bohemia
In Mělník, a town north of Prague in Central Bohemia, the Mělník Grape Harvest Festival will take place from 17 to 19 September this year. The programme is prepared to satisfy fans of various art genres, history, lovers of craft markets, or art classes for children. But what is more important, you can also taste the young wine and regular wine from the Mělník wine-growing area. There are only two areas in Bohemia. After tasting quality wines from the Czech Wine-Growers Guild, visitors can rest at the relaxation zone in the courtyard of the town hall and enjoy some quiet moments outside the festival, as well as gastronomic specialities, along with some wine. The Mělník Grape Harvest Festival will take place both at the chateau and in the centre of the historical town on the confluence of River Elbe and River Vltava.
Kuks in East Bohemia traditionally throws a celebration of the grape harvest on the second Saturday in September, this year it is on 11 September. More than a hundred wines will be available for tasting. The romantic setting of the unique Baroque complex with sculptures by Matthias Bernard Braun offers unusual and unforgettable experience.
Litoměřice is another town in Bohemia to visit; it is situated on the boundary between Central and North Bohemia. The Grape Harvest Festival, traditionally organised in mid-September in Litoměřice, takes place on 18 September this year. You can look forward to a cultural programme, music performances, wine tasting, young wine and other delicacies. This year, the festival will take place at several stages in the centre of the historical town.
